Four questions

eShepherd suits a wide range of cattle operations, but not every farm and not every job. Four questions settle most of it.

1. What do you want the fence to do?

Start with the job, not the technology. Three uses are strong fits:

  • Rotational grazing, where you want to move a mob to fresh pasture more often than your current fencing allows.
  • Strip grazing a crop, where a front fence releases feed a bit at a time.
  • Keeping cattle out of an area, such as a waterway, a crop or a hazard.

What these have in common is a boundary that changes. If your internal fences never move and you are happy with them, the case is weaker. If you spend hours each week shifting tape, mustering to move mobs, or wishing you could split a paddock without building fence, it is stronger.

2. Do you run cattle over 200 kg?

eShepherd is for cattle only. Neckbands suit cattle from 200 kg, and bulls are included. There is a Bull Top Strap for bigger necks and XL chains for heavy cattle, so large bulls are fitted properly rather than squeezed into a standard setup.

Herd size matters for training as well. Cattle learn partly from each other, so train at least 20 animals together. After that, you can split into smaller mobs as long as each group still has leaders and followers.

3. Is there mobile coverage on the farm?

Coverage means no extra gear. The neckbands use existing mobile networks, and for most farms a basic signal of 1 to 2 bars where the cattle graze is enough.

Without coverage, a base station does the job. It connects neckbands over LoRa radio from a spot on your property, and you can run cellular and base-station neckbands on the same place.

If you are not sure what your coverage is like across the paddocks you graze, the eShepherd team can arrange a coverage test before you commit.

4. Are your boundary fences in good shape?

This is the question people skip. eShepherd replaces internal fencing, not the perimeter. Sound boundary fences are needed, both as the outer limit for your cattle and as a safe edge for training.

What it replaces, and what it doesn't

It replaces:

  • Internal cross-fencing and the time spent building, shifting and repairing it.
  • Much of the mustering needed just to move a mob to the next paddock.
  • Temporary fence for keeping cattle off a waterway or out of a crop.

It doesn't replace:

  • Your boundary fences.
  • Your stockmanship. The system shows you where every animal is and flags when one has barely moved for hours, but it supports regular checks rather than replacing them.
  • Planning. A virtual fence still needs good paddock design, enough feed and access to water.

A quick read on fit

You are likely a good fit if you can answer yes to most of these: you run cattle over 200 kg; you want to move, rotate or exclude them more easily; you have coverage or a spot for a base station; and your boundary fences are sound.

If you are unsure on any of them, that is what a conversation with an eShepherd specialist is for. The quote form builds indicative pricing step by step, and a specialist follows up to talk through your herd, terrain and coverage.